Kentucky Letcher County Sheriff Shawn M. Stines is accused of fatally shooting District Judge Kevin Mullins, 54, in the chambers of Judge Mullins on September 19, 2024. Stines is charged with one count of first-degree murder. Sheriff Stines allegedly walked into the judge's outer office and told court employees that he needed to speak alone with Judge Mullins. The two entered the judge's chambers, closing the door behind them. Those outside heard gun shots. Sheriff Stines reportedly walked out with his hands up and surrendered to police. He was handcuffed in the courthouse foyer. Just days before the shooting, on September 16, Stines was deposed in an ongoing federal lawsuit involving former Deputy Ben Fields. Records show Stines was named as a defendant in a lawsuit in 2022 along with Deputy Ben Fields. A woman named Sabrina Adkins alleged that Fields forced her to engage in unwanted sexual acts in Mullins' chamber. The lawsuit alleges the sexual allegations against the deputy 'were not appropriately investigated by Sheriff Stines' who fired the deputy in 2022.